Kin On receives ABAW 2005 Award for Community Service
The Asian Bar Association of Washington (ABAW) recently presented the Kin On Health Care Center and Community Care Network with the 2005 Community Service Award during its 17th anniversary dinner at the Grand Hyatt Seattle.
The award recognizes an organization for outstanding efforts in serving the local Asian American community.
Originally founded in 1985 to establish a Chinese nursing home, Kin On today encompasses two non-profit organizations, the Kin On Health Care Center and Kin On Community Health Care.
The two organizations share the same mission: to support the elderly and adults in the greater Seattle Asian community by offering a comprehensive range of health, social, and educational services sensitive to their cultural, linguistic, and dietary needs.
One hundred Asian elders consider the Kin On Health Care Center to be their home. The Kin On Community Care Network provides home health, home care and more to nearly 400 individuals a year who are mostly low-income, non-English-speaking, and extremely frail.
“Kin On is especially honored to receive the ABAW’s Community Service Award during our 20th anniversary year. Kin On has benefited from enormous community support over the years. It is gratifying that the ABAW views Kin On as an organization that has given back to the community,” said Kin On CEO Samuel Wan in accepting the award.
IDHA receives EPA Grant
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded the International District Housing Alliance (IDHA) an $86,264 grant to protect the neighborhood from toxic pollution.
The grant is one of the first of its kind in the nation. IDHA was awarded with it for an innovative locally-driven project to identify and reduce risks from lead, paint, mold, asbestos, air toxins and other forms of pollution.
The grant comes under a new EPA program called CARE, Community Action for a Renewed Environment, aimed at allowing communities a more direct say in identifying and addressing their specific local concerns about environmental risks.
With the help of the EPA grant, the IDHA will launch a partnership with local businesses, nonprofits, city and county government offices and the University of Washington. Together with the community, these organizations will analyze current risks, set priorities, and chart a path forward for reducing these risks.
EPA Region 10 Administrator Michael Bogert, presented the CARE grant at a ceremony on Nov. 7 at the ID/Chinatown Community Center.
Wing Luke Museum recognized for “Women & Violence” exhibit
The Wing Luke Asian Museum received the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s 2005 Take Action Against Domestic Violence Award for their “Women & Violence” exhibition as part of the New Dialogue Initiative. The award ceremony took place on Oct. 27 at the Seattle City Hall Bertha Knight Landes Room.
Other 2005 award recipients include Meena Vashee, Rev. Dr. Robert L. Jeffrey Sr., Sally Solaro & The Microsoft Threat Management Unit, and The Dorcas Circle and the Quilters Group from Trinity Lutheran Church of Enumclaw.
The annual award recognizes individuals and/or groups making efforts to end domestic violence in their communities.
Bellevue celebrates Diwali
Downtown Bellevue Barnes & Noble was the scene of a community-embracing Diwali / Tihar Festival on Sunday, Oct. 30, two hours packed with folk music, dance, mehndi, storytime and author readings. Attendance topped 120 people. The foundational segment featured Indian-Canadian author Anjali Banerjee and Indian-American author Bharti Kirchner. Banerjee has written three novels for children and has a new chick lit novel for adults, “Imaginary Men,” which has been receiving great press. Kirchner is the renowned author of several cookbooks and novels, including her newest, “Pastries.”
Diwali, or Tihar as it is called in Nepal, is celebrated throughout the Hindu world. Partner organizations for the Barnes & Noble event were the India Association of Western Washington and the Nepal Seattle Society. Shanta Benegal and Annie Penta, of Leela Kathak Dancers & Singers, entranced the audience with traditional folk songs, and youth from IAWW gave the benediction of a lovely exit dance, graciously arranged by Gauri Pabbita. NSS played folk music, highlighted by a moving flute solo by Krishna Gurung, who learned the craft growing up in his village. Mehndi for children was so popular that an audience member, Nisha Sikaria, kindly offered to assist Varsha Matal. And also for the kids, Uma Coimbature told stories and sang nursery rhymes in Hindi.
“In Seattle and on the Eastside, we have such a large South Asian population. I arranged this celebration as a mainstream event to truly build communities — whether Indian, Nepalese, east Asian, American, all of us,” said Brenda Gurung, Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble in Downtown Bellevue. “We are hoping to make this an annual event. The outpouring of support brought tears to my eyes.”
“Arts, Etc.” 2005
The International Examiner hosted its annual “Arts, Etc.” event on Nov. 5 at the Port of Seattle. The event celebrated Asian American artists, including Deems Tsutakawa, Angelo Pizarro, isangmahal, Aki Sogabe, Saya Moriyasu, Etsuko Ichikawa, among many others. Over 200 people attended the event.
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